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Little Chat
After taking time to scout out the best spot he could Punch is standing around the corner from an alley pointed straight at the dead drop site. He's rigged a bit of shattered glass to the opposite wall so he can have eyes on the target location without being seen himself. That's the theory anyway. On a live operation you never know . . . Robot Pteranodon hides in waiting as well, though his spot of choice is something far less subtle and precise. He's out in plain view, perched atop a building that sports an array of gargoyle-esque statues around its crown (it is a Decepticon-influenced cityscape after all). Wings folded, optics dimmed as much as he can manage while keeping visibility up, the Dinobot provides Punch with the overwatch he was told to provide, sitting as still as the gleaming statues that accompany him on his perch. Because, truthfully? If he did have to hide, conceal, and be as sneaky and shadowy as possible? It would probably end poorly. Combat: Robot Pteranodon compares his Intelligence to Punch's Intelligence: Failure :( It's been several days since Shiftlock's report, and just as she predicted, the green femme has returned to the subspace pocket, or rather, the alley that contains it. She anxiously rubs at the chipped armor on her arm, searching the ground for the remains of it. Someone might've picked it up... Probably rebels, and they wouldn't turn it in to the authorities. Would they? She doesn't notice the Dinobot perched far above, but her shoulder light glints on the reflection of the glass Punch has set up. For a moment, she pauses to squint, but eventually shrugs it off and moves to the subspace pocket panel on the wall. Which... has been cut open? She quickly turns around, optics narrowed, obviously not pleased with Prowl's handiwork. Punch spies the target. <> He silently transmits. Stepping boldly out, flicking a cig from nowhere and letting it burst brightly into flame Punch says, "Evening Trefoil, lost something? Maybe a thousand somethings perhaps? Nasty scratch, you know I seen a perfect patch that'd fit that? Punch. Take a moment and join me for a little chat? It'd really be worth your time to hear me out." offering a second cig slighted from nowhere as he does so. Robot Pteranodon doesn't move as the order comes in. His optics shift ever so slightly to track the femme's movements below, especially when Punch makes his bold appearance. Assuming that Trefoil is distracted below, he takes the opportunity to shift his head so he can get a better look. Trefoil immediately draws her pistol with Punch makes his presence known. Autobot, military branch. "No chats," she snaps nervously, weapon shaking. "Not tonight. Sorry." A quick glance around to see if he's got backup, but she doesn't check the rooftops, and abruptly turns to bolt down the maze of alleys. In the darkness Punch knows he can cut loose for a change. From a standing start he pounces and, aided by a discreet burst from his flight systems, attempts to tackle Trefoil to the ground. Combat: Punch sets his defense level to Fearless. Combat: Punch strikes Trefoil with his never use the coded one before . . . (Grab) attack! <'Autobot'> Punch says, "Swoop get in here! Time to do the support thing." Robot Pteranodon snaps his optics onto Trefoil, waiting until she is moving beyond immediate threat of seeing him before taking flight to pursue. Or, at least to provide an overhead marker of Trefoil's location for Punch to follow. Or, at least until Punch tries to dive-tackle the operative, and he gets the call over the radio. Folding his wings, he drops down to land in front of Trefoil, wings stretching to offer an imposing wall to hopefully give multiple reasons why it is best to not try running again. <'Autobot'> Swoop says, "What him Punch want Swoop do?" <'Autobot'> Punch says, "Just get down here. Don't let the target escape." <'Autobot'> Swoop says, "Swoop can do that." Trefoil isn't /that/ surprised when Punch manages to take her down - these are war mechs! But that's not going to stop her from putting up a fight. "Get OFF!" she screams, and draws a length of razorwire around Punch's neck, aiming to slash energon lines. Whether that trips him up or not, she'll still attempt to squirm from his grasp, though Swoop's sudden appearance startles her for a few precious seconds. Combat: Trefoil sets her defense level to Fearless. Combat: Trefoil strikes Punch with her Razorwire attack! Combat: Critical Hit! The wire indeed wraps around Punch's neck and cuts cleanly through his casing and severs a main power line <> Punch, with one arm reaches behind his neck and flicks another cig. The thermite tip of the cig lights on silent command cutting the wire in two. His other arm slams forward to wind the corrupt cop a little to let Swoop . . . swoop in? Combat: Punch strikes Trefoil with his So tempted to mini-corrupt but y'know good guy stuff. (Grab) attack! Robot Pteranodon knows the order. Hears the order. And he will comply, but there is momentary confusion...after all, this form is the frightening one, right? All the same, he transforms and goes to grab the wiry little troublemaker and rather bodily drag her off. Because...you know, Dinobot tactics are simple like that. Robot Pteranodon transforms into his Robot mode. Combat: Swoop sets his defense level to Fearless. Combat: Swoop strikes Trefoil with his Swoop got this! (Grab) attack! Combat: Swoop compares his Strength to Trefoil's Strength: Failure :( Trefoil tosses the severed razorwire and claws at the ground, up until Swoop's still rather sizable robot form picks her right up. There's more screaming, flailing and kicking until she draws a mean-looking sniper rifle from subspace and makes to fire it right into Swoop's chest, point black. "Release me!" she yells, torn between rage and panic. Punch may be trying to keep from really harming her but it seems she'll stop at nothing to get away. Combat: Trefoil strikes Swoop with her Ol' Painless attack! Punch didn't wish he had to do this. <> Punch then withdraws from subspace . . . his photonic cannon. Swoop's seen it before. Hell, he's used it before. On Punch. So he knows about how it destroys circuitry from the inside out. Punch doesn't know if Trefoil does but he needs to do something to break the fight or flight response. The only concession it he sets it to be as debilitating as opposed to damaging as possible. Combat: Punch strikes Trefoil with his okay mini-corrupt time. attack! -4 Swoop balls up a fist, ready to 'subdue' the mech in his clutches...but then she shoots him. He blinks. That is the most reaction he offers, looking down at his chest as the blast causes smoke to rise from his armor, the plating looking scorched, but that's about it. He narrows his optics at the mech in front of him and takes a book out of the Grimlock Manual for Doing Stuff. He tightens his grip once more, drawing his sword out of subspace to level the fiery blade at her. "Swoop think you need think better about what you doing. Because Swoop has something her Trefoil not have, and Swoop not think you good at not falling." Combat: Swoop strikes Trefoil with his Swoop say settle down! (Grab) attack! Trefoil rakes her fingertips across Swoop's armor as Punch lights up her circuitry, which thoroughly wrecks her reaction time. The rifle is subspaced, and she fights against her own systems to try and prepare a grenade, but Swoop's flaming blade blazes in her direction, and his grip is too much to ignore. "Nrgh!" The explosive falls from her grasp to clatter on the ground, and she very reluctantly lifts her hands to surrender, venting heavily. Sighing but not lowering his cannon for a moment Punch says, "Right, lets start again." Flicking another self lighting cig to replace the lost ones from earlier he says, "No cig for you though. I'm Punch, I'm a spy, you're Trefoil, you're taking kickbacks, I know far more than that but you get to talk so I can see how much truth you're telling. So . . . go." Swoop looks at the explosive device, but it hardly gets more than a cursory glance. So long as it doesn't explode, everyone is happy. He just keeps his blade poised and narrows his optics at Trefoil. "Swoop also need say...not like being mean Dinobot. But Swoop not like them Decepticons more." Trefoil leers openly, but more at Punch, as he's not the one holding the flaming sword. She finally drops her hands, still suspended by the Dinobot. "Good to see the Autobots finally helping out around here. A shame it's too late. I could tell you details, but I'm going to be locked away anyhow, and my clients will find a way to kill me for snitching one way or another." She doesn't reply to Swoop, apparently out of nervousness. "Thought so. Why oh why oh . . . why do they always start with a denial?" Punch says shaking his head. "Look, I've been an operative for a long time and, I guarantee you, storytelling is always the smarter play. Shutting down leaves you no options. I like options. For example I've been a busy little bot with all of my paperwork. Now . . . this . . ." Punch says, waving his data pad with two buttons, one red and one green, visible on the touchscreen " . . . is an example of just such a thing. The red button triggers certain data going to a certain organisation who don't kill who've wronged them. They, instead, rig people up to agony matrices. It reconfigures all your internal circuitry to one function. Pain. For all eternity. Now I push the red button . . . they become under the misapprehension that you wronged them badly and I'll deliver you to them myself." Punch takes a draw and says, "There are worse things than death . . . I should know. I'm good at most of them. Or . . . I push the green button. That gives you a clean ID, a new place and life with a little but not planet shattering nestegg. I'll also make sure anyone after you is certain you're dead. Or I can just push green and work something out with you. To do so though . . . you need to do one thing. Talk to me." Swoop listens to Punch, but his optics don't leave Trefoil. "Swoop deal with them Decepticons, too. Them not like Dinobots, because Dinobots too good at fighting them Decepticons." He says that with a nice bit of pride, too, because...well, there is a bit of a legacy there. "And Swoop going to stay in Tarn a lot to help break them Decepticons." Trefoil looks surprised to hear of the threat of torture, then a bit skeptical. But while she may sound like she has nothing to lose at this point, she's responding to the possibility of endless pain. Swoop's comment earns an anxious look, and she turns back to Punch. "I was the enemy, Autobot. The citizens see us as enemies. That's not what I enlisted for." She sighs and gazes at the ground. "I'll talk, but I probably won't be much help. I was selling contraband to the rebels. Mainly Flaxjax's little group. I don't know where his hideout is. But there's another cop that does this." Seems she won't give up a name, at least for now. "Can you please set me down so I can have some dignity as I get chewed out by the chief and locked away forever? Let's just get this over with. There's no such thing as a new life." Punch smiles, removes his weapon to subspace and says, in his more familiar warm tones, "There is such a thing. I'll help. It's not the first time I've done so either. If you still really wanted to have this life in this place I can help with that too. I can spin it that it was a deep cover assignment that, for operational reasons, couldn't be divulged to anyone who didn't have clearance. I'll trust that, after this, you'll walk the straight and narrow from here on in." Punch takes another draw, reaches into his arm compartment and takes out a pack of his cigs, and continues, "If you do smoke, you're welcome to have one. I can trust you, even though we've just met, it's something I'm good at doing." His smile brightens, "If you know anything else, like the name of this other dealer, or anything else . . . just trust me. I'll pay it back in kind." Swoop releases Trefoil, lowering his blade...but he still keeps it close at-hand. "Swoop not think you maybe go back to them police. Swoop think is better Trefoil disappear and let him Punch help instead." Trefoil glowers and waves off the enercig. She's not terribly convinced of their ability to wipe the slate clean, but it looks like they're /trying/ to help. /Looks/. "I..." Swoop mentions not even going back. She shrugs slightly, frowning. "This mech /will/ find a way to kill me when he finds out. But perhaps you can take him down first. He's the big silver peacemaker jet. Sterling. He's got this crazy psychological hold on everyone else. Everyone's afraid of him. I was in it for the shanix, mostly, but he's... Well I think he just likes pulling strings. Do what you will with me," she vents with a defeated tone.